Quartermaster:
Create budget for presentation to Board of Directors. Make advance purchases as authorized. Conduct set-up, supply, sanitation and clean-up of troop encampments, parade ground, battleground and cavalry facilities. Demonstrate effective teamwork with appropriate host authorities such as Camp Mabry and City of Austin personnel, and with re-enactment units, the general public and others using or visiting such facilities. Compose safety checklist for training your personnel and those of tour guides, teachers and others, for use regarding both re-enactors and visitors. (For example, fires and sharp objects in cooking areas, rope guy lines on tents, etc.)
Asst. Quartermaster - Cavalry:
Collaborate with quartermaster in creating the budget, assist in quartermaster duties, with particular attention to needs of cavalry and other equestrian participants (for example, horse-drawn carriages, pack mules, etc.)
Unit Commanders’ Coordinator:
Basically, this person sees that all unit
commanders are “on the same page.” He/she is in contact with each re-enactment unit regularly:
- At least quarterly in 2010
- At least every six weeks from January through June of 2011
- At least monthly from July through December of 2011
- At least every other week for January, February and March of 2012
- Weekly, or more often as needed, during April of 2012
During the week leading up to Cinco de Mayo of 2012, this person acts as a “trouble-shooter” with all re-enactment units, checking to be sure that their needs are met and that they are on time and well-prepared for each event. He or she is in constant contact with the Assistant Commanders’ Coordinator and the Cavalry Coordinator, and the three of them establish a close working relationship so that each can substitute for the others as needed. This person will be chosen based on previous re-enactor experience and recommendations from leaders in the re-enactment community.
Assistant Commanders’ Coordinator:
This person is “on the ground” in Austin, circulating among those who must interact with re-enactors’ units and their support organizations, such as government agencies, news media, schools, etc. He or she must be able to walk paperwork into such places as Camp Mabry, Austin police headquarters, etc., make face-to-face contact with local officials, and establish close relationships with key persons who can be contacted on a moment’s notice in case of emergencies. He or she will be the “trouble-shooter” regarding external relations, while the coordinator deals mostly with internal relations with re-enactor units. The assistant coordinator checks to be sure that all advance arrangements are in place for arriving re-enactors, such as permits, security, utilities, sanitary facilities, podiums-mikes-projectors, etc. Checks with quartermaster or other appropriate personnel to assure coordination for all planned facilities, and advises appropriate parties to work together to cover situations where people, equipment or facilities are missing. Works with security and safety officials to be sure that - for example - no one is flying kites where horses are expected, all campfires, weapons and other potentially hazardous items are properly supervised or stored. This person will also be chosen based on previous re-enactor experience and upon recommendations from leaders in the re-enactment community.
Cavalry Coordinator:
This person is part of a three-member team which includes the two positions named above, but is in charge of both internal coordination (among re-enactors, especially those related to cavalry or equestrian needs, the quartermaster, etc.) as well as external coordination among local officials, such as permits, rules for suppliers, location of stables and vehicle storage, veterinarians and emergency contacts.
Media Coordinator:
Works during the two years in advance to establish close, effective contacts with all area media, ascertaining what coverage they might like to provide, and what their needs will be if they do so. This will include not only live and documentary video coverage of the re-enactment, but of the parade, children’s parade, various military balls, musical performances, etc. It will also include standard news coverage, news conferences, photo-ops, interviews, etc. Video production companies may also be present to produce documentaries. Contacts should be established with them well in advance, so that they don’t arrive in Austin “cold” and have to scramble to make the necessary advance arrangements for placement, utilities, etc.
During the first week of May, 2012, this person also makes “exclusive” and “special” coverage available to media which are sponsoring the various events, especially advance coverage which can also be used at their discretion as publicity. Special VIP seating for sponsoring media management and other “percs” can be considered later. An experienced journalist who is familiar with both print and broadcast media would be ideal for this position, and recommendations from news media peers will be essential.
Educators and student journalists will be among those covering the four-day festival, and the media coordinator should work with teachers and civic leaders to develop training schedules from the fall of 2010 onward to accommodate them.
Asst. Media Coordinator - Español:
In addition to the above qualifications, this person is bilingual, but fully fluent in Spanish. He or she should be able to conduct news conferences and interviews in either Spanish or English, and to provide translation as needed. For example, if a VIP is being interviewed in English, this coordinator should have determined in advance whether Spanish-language media will want to do their own translations or whether they would like to have the answers repeated in Spanish while the interview is in progress. He or she should also determine - with the coordinator - which media outlets can normally be assigned to each of them. For example, if there are 24 media outlets and only five are Spanish-speaking, then each coordinator would probably take approximately twelve outlets, with some assigned to this assistant coordinator regardless of language. A similar arrangement should be made to accommodate educators and student journalists.
